T.A. Barron

Who He Is

T.A. Barron, creator of the beloved series The Lost Years of Merlin and The Great Tree of Avalon, began his explorations of fantasy worlds as a student at Oxford University. He cites two main areas of inspiration for his tales: heroism and the environment. T.A. Barron's belief that every child has the potential to be a hero led him to write The Hero's Trail, featuring real-life stories about young heroes, and to create The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which celebrates children who have helped change the world. An environmental activist, Barron co-founded the Princeton Environmental Institute in 1990, which recently created the T.A. Barron Prize for Environmental Leadership. Barron lives in Colorado with his wife and children.

What He Writes

T.A. Barron's bestselling adventure fantasy novels for boys aged ten and up feature everyday heroes who embark on great journeys to find their true identities, often while on missions of sacrifice to protect their homes, friends, and families from menacing forces.

Why Boys Like Him

Boys like Barron's novels because they feature normal people who find themselves destined for great things. The adventures of wizards and dragons from far away lands grip boys, while the underlying themes of heroism and self-sacrifice encourage boys to achieve their best.